RORY Schlein has been declared fit to race in Friday night’s crunch home Elite League match against Coventry (7.30pm).

RORY Schlein has been declared fit to race in Friday night’s crunch home Elite League match against Coventry (7.30pm).

The Aussie was the victim of some hard-riding from his fellow countryman Chris Holder during last night’s defeat at Poole and left the Wimborne Road track with a swollen ankle.

Schlein has been for some physio treatment today where it’s been revealed he has suffered soft tissue damage. Thankfully after a night’s rest and with the swelling now reduced, he is set to face his former club in a fixture that is being billed as the Panthers biggest meeting of the season.

The Alwalton side suffered a shock home defeat to Eastbourne on Monday evening and now have Coventry breathing down their exhaust pipes as the tension builds in the battle to reach the play-offs.

The Brandon club surprisingly got off to a poor start to the season, but after a number of rider changes and some vastly improved results, they are making a late challenge to feature in the end-of-season championship shoot-out.

Peterborough still look favourites to secure a play-off spot, but team manager Trevor Swales admits it could all rest on the result from tomorrow night.

He said: “This is a massive meeting – probably the biggest we’ve faced all season.

“We were all bitterly disappointed after Monday’s match, but we’ve put that behind us now and we have already moved on.

“Despite the result at Poole last night, I was extremely encouraged by the attitude and performance from the team.

“The Pirates are a strong side and nobody has got close there this season. However, but for Rory’s injury and also some misfortunate with engine failures, we could and should have got something from the match. To be honest I couldn’t fault any of them after that - they all gave one-hundred percent.

“But that’s all in the past and we now need to focus totally on Coventry tomorrow night. They have been riding very well recently, but we are fired up for this and everyone is aware that it is a match we simply have to win.

“With so much at stake and an expected bumper crowd, it promises to be a tense but very exciting evening.”

PETERBOROUGH: Kenneth Bjerre, Krzysztof Buczkowski, Rory Schlein, Niels-Kristian Iversen, Troy Batchelor, Mathieu Tresarrieu, Norbert Kosciuch

COVENTRY: Krzysztof Kasprzak, Richard Sweetman, Ben Barker, Edward Kennett, Chris Harris, Lewis Bridger, Przemyslaw Pawlicki